Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 21 - Chapitre 30

A gentle morning breeze drifted through the half-open window of the Bennett home, stirring the curtains and bringing with it the faint scent of spring. On the bedroom floor, Jamie sat cross-legged, surrounded by scattered sheets of paper, glue sticks, colored pencils, and small pieces of cardboard. His tiny hands were smudged with marker ink, and his brows were furrowed in concentration. At school, the teacher had announced a new project for the upcoming open day. This time, the theme was “Dream Houses and Happy Places.”—each child had to design and build a model of the city they imagined in the future. It could have tall buildings, parks, flying cars, or anything else they dreamed about. Jamie’s fingers paused over a small glue stick as he stared at his half-drawn sketch. For a moment, his mind wandered. He remembered how Maya used to help him with school projects. She always had clever ideas. Her hands were steady, her voice soft. She made even the hardest parts fun. Together,

“Maya, there you are—” Elias’s voice came from just behind her, but she didn’t turn. Her eyes were locked on Jamie, who was still crouched on the floor, surrounded by broken pieces of his project. The silence after the crash hung heavily in the air. Everyone had turned to look at the scene—Jamie crouched on the floor, broken pieces of his project scattered around him. His little hands trembled as he picked up a cardboard roof, now bent and smeared with glue. What no one had seen was what had happened that morning. Jamie had worked hard for days on his handmade model, carefully designing each wall, coloring the garden, and even painting tiny windows with toothpicks. He had packed it gently into a box and sealed it with care. Ava’s voice broke the silence. “What happened?” She appeared at Elias’s side, holding onto her uncle’s hand. His sister followed closely behind, her gaze moving between the scattered project and Maya’s frozen stance. “I think… that was Jamie’s project,” Her

Jamie had always been a quiet boy, but there was one thing that brought him real joy—his pet hamster, Chippy. It was small and brown with white patches, and Jamie loved it dearly. Every morning, before going to school, he would feed Chippy and check if the water bottle was full. At night, he sat by its cage, talking softly to it like it was his best friend. Chippy never talked back, of course, but to Jamie, Chippy always listened. It was the one little friend that didn’t argue, didn’t shout, and never made him feel alone.To Jamie, Chippy was more than a pet. He was family.Lena, on the other hand, had never liked the hamster. From the moment she came into the house and saw it, she rolled her eyes at the idea of having “a rodent” in her clean home. Though she pretended to smile when Jamie showed her his hamster’s tricks, the truth was, she found the animal annoying. The cage smelled, the scratching noises irritated her, and she hated how Jamie gave it so much attention. Lena didn’t

The drive back from Nurse Clara’s apartment was silent. Maya sat quietly in the front seat, her hands resting in her lap. Outside the window, the city passed by in a blur—buildings, traffic lights, people walking along the sidewalks. But she didn’t see any of it. Her thoughts were stuck on the woman’s trembling voice, on the words that still echoed in her ears. A star-shaped birthmark. A switch during the night shift. A man who had paid her to take the baby. Maya pressed a hand to her chest, as if trying to hold her heart together. The pain was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Not even her divorce or the day Daniel had told her the truth could compare. “Are you okay?” Elias asked quietly, his eyes flicking toward her as he drove. Maya shook her head. “No… I don’t think I’ll be okay for a while.” Elias didn’t say anything more. He just drove, his hands steady on the wheel, giving her the silence she needed. It wasn’t the kind of silence that made her feel alone. It was c

Soft music filled the air, and laughter floated from one corner of the banquet hall to another. Everything looked perfect—the shining lights, the polished floors, the tables filled with fine food and flowers. Maya stood near the side of the ballroom, trying to catch her breath after a dance with Elias. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, her lips curved into a shy smile. She looked beautiful, calm, and confident. Guests had been complimenting her all evening. Many admired the gown she wore—elegant, graceful, unlike anything they had seen before. But even more attention was drawn to the gown Elias’s grandmother wore. The rich color, the smooth fit, and the intricate embroidery had people talking nonstop. More than one woman asked the elderly lady where she got such a stunning dress. Each time, the grandmother smiled proudly and said, “A young designer made it for me. Her name is Maya.” Across the room, Lena stood with a drink in her hand. She was watching Maya closely. Her eyes followed